"Most of the supply - 87% - is accounted for by domestic production. At the same time, we record an increase of 43%: in January-March 2024, more than 132 million conditional packages were produced in Uzbekistan, and in the same period last year - only 92.6 million, - said Akhmadbek Fayziev, a specialist of the Tax Committee. "After the introduction of labeling, bona fide business began to occupy niches freed from illegal producers, which contributes to an increase in output."

As you know, mandatory labeling of cigarettes in Uzbekistan has been launched since January 2021, and since October 2022, labeling has extended to all types of tobacco products. The reason for its introduction was the high level of counterfeit goods on the market. According to British American Tobacco Uzbekistan, about 15.7% of cigarettes sold in the republic are of illegal origin.

An analysis of the supply structure in the first quarter of this year, according to CRPT TURON LLC (operator of the National Digital Labeling System Asl Belgisi), indicates an increase in imports of labeled tobacco products. Its volume in January-March of this year amounted to 19.9 million conditional packages, which is 8 times more than in the same period of the previous year. At that time, this figure was at the level of 2.6 million conditional packages.

Most of the imports of tobacco products - 48% of the total supply - were heated tobacco (sticks). This is followed by cigarettes with a filter (39.7%), cigarillos (7%), hookah tobacco (2.8%) and electronic cigarettes (1.8%).

According to the Operator, more than 90% of tobacco sales in Uzbekistan are accounted for by cigarettes with a filter. The next most popular sticks (6%) and nicotine snus (2%).

Every adult decides for himself whether to smoke or not. But it is better for young people to give preference to a healthy lifestyle.